Serving the greater NORTH, CENTRAL AND SOUTH BALDWIN communities Racing dragons thrill crowds PAGE 3 Doctor changes business model The Onlooker PAGE 22 JUNE 13, 2018 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ Foley’s proposed Entertainment City to host public hearings District in “limbo” regarding downtown traffic flow By JESSICA VAUGHN By JOHN UNDERWOOD During the hearings, 6 p.m. July 2, 8 a.m. July 16 sented conceptual design [email protected] [email protected] which will be open to public and 6 p.m. Aug. 6. drawings at the council’s input, options will be dis- Officials are continuing to Friday, May 18 meeting for FOLEY — During a public ROBERTSDALE — The cussed to help traffic flow, move forward with plans to a pavilion to be located in meeting in January, Foley Robertsdale City Council including an option to make make improvements to Hon- Honeybee Park. Part of the officials spoke about a pro- will host a series of public Pennsylvania and Ohio eybee Park and to move the plans for the pavilion will posed entertainment district hearings in which public streets east of Alabama 59 city’s Utilities Department be to close off a portion of that, if approved, would officials hope will improve one way. to property located north of Michigan Street east of the enter their downtown area. traffic flows in the down- Hearings will be sched- U.S. 90. park, officials said. Since, the city held a meet- town area along Alabama uled following the city Architects with Adams ing with restaurant and bar 59. council’s regular meeting at Stewart in Robertsdale pre- SEE HEARINGS, PAGE 2 owners in the area which would be affected by the dis- trict, and after that meeting, plans have been put on hold Foley celebrates to bring an entertainment Libraries Rock! district to Foley. Main Street “The entertainment dis- It was a packed house trict is currently in limbo,” Wednesday, June 6 as the Rob- designation with said City Planner Miriam ertsdale Public Library kicked kickoff event Boutwell. “We do have the off its Summer Reading Pro- ordinances drafted, we do gram with “Raptors: Birds of Submitted have a boundary map, we Prey” from Freedom Ranch had a public meeting on it, Outreach Education program. FOLEY — On June and then we had a meeting The program featured an owl, 1, Foley became a Main with all the downtown res- a hawk, two vultures common Street Alabama desig- taurant and bar owners that to Alabama, along with some nated community. The have ABC licenses, and they non-birds of prey, including a program’s focus is on brought a lot of valid ques- chicken and a crow. Following economic development, tions and concerns.” the program Library Director which includes bring- Boutwell stated the own- Cynthia Nall and staff wel- ing jobs, businesses and ers were concerned about comed boys and girls ages 3 to people back into his- JOHN UNDERWOOD / STAFF PHOTOS their liability insurance 12 to register for the program. toric communities. increasing and if an en- Participants also signed up to Main Street Alabama tertainment district would read with the library’s resi- is affiliated with the cost them money in the end. dent canine Nayla and friend. National Main Street Concerns were also voiced Every year, the program runs Center and utilizes the about the large footprint through the entire month of Main Street Four-Point the district would be under. June with events scheduled Approach® to help To obtain an entertainment daily every Tuesday through communities organize district, a minimum of Thursday. An estimated 200 themselves for success four alcohol licensed busi- to 300 participate in the pro- and enhance their eco- nesses is required. As the gram every year. Programs nomic base. city needed to meet these are scheduled every Tuesday Everyone interested requirements and ABC and Wednesday at the library in Foley’s downtown licensed businesses are scat- throughout the month of tered throughout the down- June. SEE FOLEY, PAGE 17 town area, the planners created a wide-ranged area to encompass the minimum number needed. “We’re part of Main Fern Avenue Extension quickly coming along Street Alabama now, and part of that is setting up a board and getting a Main Street Director,” Boutwell said. “So this may sit in limbo until that’s all in SEE DISTRICT, PAGE 2 DEATHS PAGE 19 Eula May Crain JESSICA VAUGHN / STAFF PHOTOS Dann M. Dowd The Fern Avenue Extension is underway, and the progress is moving along at a quick pace. Once complete, the extension will go from Highway Shirley Helen Sharkey 59 to the Foley Beach Express. The purpose of the extension is twofold: for one, it will give the community another access onto the Beach Ex- Stanley Allen Taylor press, which will help take some traffic from the downtown area of the city. Also, it will be another access point for ambulances going to the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach areas and bringing patients back to South Baldwin Regional Medical Center. This will help to not only keep the traffic Bonnie Ann Paul Wallace moving as citizens have another roadway to travel, but it will also help medical response teams reach the beach and deliver patients to the hos- pital in less time. INDEX Gulf BALDWIN LIVING, 5 OUT & ABOUT, 21 Coast CLASSIFIED, 24 PUZZLES, 6 Media HEALTH, 22 SPORTS, 8 VOLUME 110 • ISSUE 22 LEGALS, 26 TV LISTINGS, 11 1 SECTION • 32 PAGES OPINION, 7 2 • The Onlooker • June 13, 2018 • Gulf Coast Media Firefighters host benefit for 9-1-1 dispatcher ROBERTSDALE — dale and throughout the Living Donor program ultimate task, battling When first responders area were more than through UAB. her medical condition,” go out on a call, they are ready and willing to The kidney donor is a James Bauer said. “Les- often relying on what help. fellow dispatcher from lie is no stranger to chal- could be considered the At age 22, Buchanan Baldwin County 911, Re- lenges in her life but as first, first responder, the started experiencing shay “Shay” Bauer, who a First Responder family 9-1-1 dispatcher. kidney issues which was not able to donate we will do what families “They are our secret led to complete kidney directly to Buchanan, do and help carry her weapons,” said Roberts- failure. In 2002 , she re- but because of the Liv- burdens.” dale Fire Chief James ceived her first kidney ing Donor program at The Robertsdale Fire Bauer. “We could not transplant. Still to this UAB, she will donate Department will host SUBMITTED PHOTO do what we do without day, doctors cannot pro- a kidney to another a fish dinner to benefit Leslie Buchanan, right, daughter Addison, and donor Re- which will in turn place Buchanan on Saturday, them.” vide a cause or diagnosis shay Bauer. So when Leslie Bu- for the kidney failure. Buchanan back on top June 16 beginning at chanan, an 11-year Buchanan has been of the National kidney noon at the Fire Station, at the fire station. at the center, located at veteran dispatcher with on dialysis for approxi- donation list. Matches 22575 St. Paul St., Rob- Donations can also 23130 McAuliffe Drive, Baldwin County 911, mately two years be- have been found for both ertsdale. Plates will cost be sent to the Baldwin Robertsdale next to the needed help with medi- cause the transplanted Bauer and Buchanan. $8 each including fish, County 911 Center via Baldwin County Emer- cal expenses to receive a kidney is failing. She has “Showing her strength coleslaw, baked beans, mail to P.O. Box 924, Rob- gency Management kidney transplant, first made it to the top of the as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, bread and cake. Pre-sale ertsdale, AL 36567 or can Agency in the Roberts- responders in Roberts- list again because of the Leslie is taking on the tickets can be purchased be delivered in person dale Industrial Park. DISTRICT would be served in an any way to keep check and brought out their district defining the district our footprint approved entertainment on who was drinking too own alcohol to enjoy limits and laws, letting had to get so large to get CONTINUED FROM 1 district cup that would much. while walking through both visitors and locals the minimum number be noticeable by police “If anyone got caught the park. This would know where approved of bars, and most enter- place, and since the officers and other bar doing that then they come down to an en- alcoholic cups would be tainment districts are Main Street group is owners. They would would be in violation forcement issue, with allowed and where the compact and consoli- specific to downtown, then be allowed to walk of the entertainment the Foley Police Depart- perimeter ended. dated. But we’ve learned they may study it again. around the approved district ordinance,” said ment keeping watch With the uncertainty a lot about it, and we So I don’t know when district area with the councilman Charlie over the district. surrounding the district have vetted the process it’s going to happen. We alcohol. The footprint in Ebert III. “Now hypo- While many concerns and the questions raised thoroughly … Knowing just felt like the owners Foley includes most of thetically could some- have been voiced, pros by both citizens and what we know, all the raised some valid ques- the downtown area, as body do that, yeah, and of the district have also ABC license holders in vetting we’ve done, the tions and there’s quite well as Heritage Park.